Chapter 1302: [Green Pine] Warm Currents and Peculiar Details

The arrival of adventurers brought a rare lively night to the villagers of Ice Tree Village.

Perhaps it was due to repeated warnings from their temporary captain, Uriah, or possibly influenced by the threatening look Xia Nan had given at the time.

The ordinarily reckless and straightforward half-orc Gangke refrained from causing trouble; after the banquet ended, he returned to the room prepared by the village chief and went straight to sleep, full and satisfied.

When Xia Nan concluded his night patrol and returned to the wooden house, the fool’s snoring was already thunderous, and he muttered indeterminate dream words in his tribal dialect.

It’s not a professional adventurer inn, just ordinary village wooden houses, with no soundproofing whatsoever.

Furthermore, Xia Nan’s amplified hearing capabilities, enhanced by the overall improvement of his physical qualities, allowed him to hear clearly even the slightest movements of his neighbor, separated by just a thin wooden wall.

Fortunately, due to his current ability to control his body, Xia Nan could fall asleep almost instantly, unaffected by external noises.

Five hours of sleep, from midnight to early morning.

Even before dawn, Xia Nan had already disciplined himself to rise from bed with a fully replenished energy.

Quickly washed up, dressed properly, and then went out for morning training with Fanny.

When he finished his routine morning exercise and returned from the forest, it was just beginning to get light.

On the road, he could faintly see several villagers who had just gotten up and were heading out to work.

His heart stirred.

He deliberately had Winter Wolf Fanny wait for him at a distance to avoid scaring the villagers.

Then he approached a woman, holding a bamboo basket, apparently planning to go out gathering.

Politely greeted:

“Hello, my name is Xia Nan, I’m the adventurer who just arrived at Ice Tree Village yesterday.”

Even though he was as polite and friendly as possible, the adventurer identity represented by his equipment still made the farmer woman before him quite uneasy.

She instinctively took two steps back.

Then, with heavy fear, nervously responded:

“H-Hello…”

Seeing the woman’s reaction, Xia Nan remained standing, contemplating briefly.

Then, he directly placed a Snow Rabbit, which he had accidentally caught during training and originally intended for breakfast, into the woman’s bamboo basket as a gift to express goodwill.

Apparently unexpected, the woman initially froze upon seeing the black-haired adventurer, who seemed inexplicably fearsome, making such a gesture. Then, she revealed a slightly stiff but sincerely grateful smile, easing her tension.

Perceptively aware of the shift in her attitude, Xia Nan asked:

“I heard from the village chief that an adventurer team came to the village half a month ago, right?”

The woman nodded.

“How about them, not easy to accommodate, huh?”

In Xia Nan’s view, the topic he raised was nothing special.

In his communication plan, it was merely to build rapport and engage in casual conversation.

Intending to further relieve her guard, without even broaching the unique aspects of the previous adventurer team or anything related to the banshee.

But strangely enough, when he mentioned the adventurer team that had passed through Ice Tree Village half a month ago.

The woman, who had just relaxed slightly, suddenly became visibly tense.

Her gaze shifted, fingers subconsciously gripping the basket handle.

Displaying a deliberate concealment and a rather uneasy expression.

“I-I don’t know…”

No matter how Xia Nan questioned further, she only robotically repeated these few words.

Difficult to communicate.

Until Xia Nan stepped aside, she hastily disappeared into the forest in a frantic manner.

Odd.

Too odd.

Xia Nan frowned slightly.

Although he had displayed ample goodwill, initial brief communication proved that the woman could clearly express herself and had a willingness to interact.

Yet right after he asked the question, their established connection instantaneously froze, unable to advance further.

What was the reason?

Was it because of that nearly completely annihilated adventurer team, or the banshee that attacked them?

Xia Nan’s bewilderment lasted the whole morning.

As if forming a consensus, Ice Tree Village’s residents remained tight-lipped about the event half a month ago, even the most talkative among them fell silent when related topics were brought up.

Fortunately, by noon.

The hunter who had firsthand contact with both the annihilated adventurer team and the attacking banshee returned to Ice Tree Village.

The hunter’s specific name was unknown, referred to simply by villagers as “Old Sang.”

His residence was located on the eastern edge of the village.

Not markedly different from other village houses, sturdily constructed with trees for supporting beams and walls, and a frost-white thatched roof.

“Knock! Knock! Knock!”

As the temporary captain of the “Sulfur Dragon Breath” team, Uriah walked at the forefront of the group, firmly knocked on the door.

“Coming! Coming!”

Without letting those before the door wait for long, accompanied by hurried footsteps, the crude, heavy wooden door quickly opened from inside.

Standing before Xia Nan and the others was a middle-aged man with a weathered face.

Wearing patched brown coarse clothes, his height slightly above average among ordinary people, with a large frame, his body appearing somewhat sickly thin despite originally being robust.